MADCAP boss Graham Westley signed Lee Trundle after being wowed by his impression of an ELEPHANT.
The cult hero striker was asked to perform animal yoga by Westley before signing for Preston in 2012.
Having been playing in Wales for Neath, Trundle was on the verge of a return to the Football League.
However, Westley has revealed he wanted to test his character before finalising the transfer – as he pulled a hilarious prank on the attacker.
Trundle visited Preston’s facilities to have a look around before a meeting with Westley and club captain John Mousinho.
Recalling the meeting, Westley told the Undr The Cosh podcast: “(I asked Trundle) Are you a team player? We do like to do things differently. We’re always searching for the 1 per cent, looking for a bit of an advantage.
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“I told him I’m quite into yoga and I see Mous’s head (Mousinho) look at me as if to say: ‘When have we ever done yoga’.”
“As he looked I said animal yoga. Mous then looks like he’s choking. Trundle is looking at me as if to say: ‘What is that?’.
“I said ‘get down on all fours’. Trundle hesitantly gets up and he’s down on all fours on the floor. Mous is looking on, I’m looking on.
“I said ‘right, let’s go with an elephant so just relax’. Trundle’s relaxing on the floor. I said ‘shut your eyes’. At this point, I couldn’t look at Mous and Lee’s on the floor.
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“I said ‘you’re probably starting to feel your trunk moving are you Lee?’ He said ‘yeah, yeah’. I said ‘get your arm working’. Trundle’s arm starts working.
“I said ‘do you know what they do? Elephants. When they herd they get excited and they start making that noise. Have you got that in you?’ He went ‘yeah, I’ve got it, I’ve got it’. I said ‘you’re gonna rampage’.
“Trundle’s on the floor in my office, at which point we broke down. Trundle looks up, he said ‘you’ve done me ain’t you?’
“But do you know what, he’s done me as well cause what I loved about that was, Lee is saying to me ‘I’m not too big to be a part of something. I’m not too big, I’m not living on my past at Swansea, Premier League. Actually, I want to be part of something, I want to join in.’
“To me, I’m testing his character. I’m having a look at what I’m working with. Lee Trundle said to me then ‘I’m serious about my business but I don’t take myself too seriously’.
“So from a character point of view, I like him and he’s signed. I didn’t sign him just because he played the part of an elephant but it played its part in me having a look.”
Trundle went on to make two appearances for the Lilywhites before leaving for Chester in February 2013.
The veteran striker is best remembered for his time at Swansea, when he became a cult hero amongst fans thanks to his skilful style and habit for stunning goals.
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Across four years with the club, he scored 91 goals in 194 appearances, including a later loan spell following his initial exit.
Trundle turned 47 on Tuesday but is still playing in the Welsh third tier after joining amateur side Mumbles Rangers in the summer.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
